2 NOTES ON CAPTAIN BLKJll S VISITS To TASMANIA, 



The early poi'tion of this is rather obscure, but 1753 is 

 the usually accepted date of his birth. He joined the Royal 

 Navy at an early atre, as he was captain's servant on the 

 Monmouth in 1762. He occupied this position for several 

 months, and then, as far as official records po, thei'e is no 

 further trace of his career until July, 1770, when he shipped 

 as A.B. on the Hunter. After serving on several ships, he 

 was appointed on 1st of July, 1770, master of the Resolution, 

 under Captain Cook, during that navigator's third and last 

 voyajre to the South Seas. It was in the Resolution that 

 Bligh paid his first visit to Tasmania. 



Returning to England, after an absence of four years, 

 he was promoted Lieutenant, and carried out a number of 

 surveys. Such promotion tends to show that he must have 

 shown marked ability early in his career, because not only 

 was he chosen by Captain Cook as sailing master of the 

 Resolution, but apparently carried out his work so well that 

 he was immediately raised in rank. 



Bligh took part in the battles of the Dogger Bank (1781) 

 and Gibraltar (1782), and shortly after this he was engaged 

 for several years in the merchant service, sailing to many 

 parts of the world. 



At this period there was a movement being made to have 

 the bread fruit of the Pacific inti-oduced to the West Indies, 

 where, it was thought, it would feed the natives. Sir Joseph 

 Banks, who did so much to further the exploration of the 

 South Seas, and was a patron of Bligh, secured for him the 

 leadcr.ship of an expedition which had for its main object 

 the introduction of bread-fruit trees into the West Indies. 



At the end of 1787 Bligh sailed from England in com- 

 mand of the Bounty, and, in spite of the mutiny and the 

 enormous difficulties to be overcome, he once more returned 

 to England, on the 14th of March, 1790. He was given a 

 hearty welcome, and promoted Commander, which rank was 

 raised to that of Post Captain during his command of the 

 Falcon. 



A second expedition was being arranged, and Bligh was 

 again placed in command. His .ships, the Providence and 

 AsHintant, left England in 1701, and the task of transplant- 

 ing the bread-fruit trees to the West Indies was successfully 

 accomplished, and the Captain returned once more to the 

 Motherland in 179:5. 



He was present at the mutiny at the Nore, and carried 

 out the work entrusted to him by the Admiralty with con- 



